Nyikang

Nyikang was a semi-legendary founder of the Shilluk Kingdom, in the 16th century. He is a notion by which the Shilluk people apprehend a unity and coherence in the specifically Shilluk world.

Etymology

The theonym Nyikango, pronounced Níkàŋō in the Shilluk language, more commonly appears in scholarly literature as Nyikang, pronounced Níkàŋ or Nàkàŋ, due to the frequent omission of the final ō. Variant spellings such as Nyakam, Nyekom, Nykawng, and Nyakang are considered outdated and are primarily found in the writings of early European observers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The standardized transcription Nyikang became firmly established after 1925, following the publication of Die Schilluk, the seminal monograph by Catholic missionary Wilhelm Hofmayr.

The name Nyikang is a compound formed from the prefix nyi (pronounced ní or na), meaning “son of,” and the root kang, which is likely a proper name—although no individual by this name appears in Shilluk oral tradition. Thus, Nyikang translates to “the son of Kang.” The Shilluk refer to themselves as ''Ocøllø'' in the singular and ''Cøllø'' in the plural, meaning “black people.” They call their homeland pothe Chol, “land of the Shilluk.” A secondary ethnonym, Okang, meaning “descendants of Kang,” further emphasizes their identity as the people of Nyikang, their national hero.

The word kango (pronounced kàŋō) has two distinct meanings in Shilluk: as a noun, it refers to the doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica), and as a verb, it means “to bring.” It remains uncertain whether the theonym Nyikang should be interpreted as “son of the doum palm” or “son of the one who brings” (presumably life or fertility). The doum palm is symbolically significant in Shilluk cosmology and is implicitly associated with the cosmic tree of primordial times in several tales. In one myth from the neighboring Anyuak people, for example, a rich and fertile land lies at the base of a towering palm tree 120 kilometers high, which connects the sky and the earth like a cosmic ladder.

Epithets

Nyikang's many epithets recall his mythical origins as well as his supernatural power. His most common titles are Kwa (ancestor), wô (father), mal (sky) and pâlo (cloud). The names Oki (son of the Nile ) and Wad nam (son of the river) recall that he was attributed Nyikaya as his mother. The latter is a female spirit, a sort of African naiad, half-woman, half- crocodile who, according to popular belief, lives at the mouth of the Sobat River . The name Jal faluko (the man of Bahr el Ghazal ) recalls that Nyikang crossed this region before settling permanently in the Shilluk country. Agwokcang (dominator of the Sun) and Adalcang (owner of the Sun) recall the conflict between Nyikang and the Sun, the star having been defeated by being sprinkled with water. However, the name Atulecang (the one who makes the Sun rise) shows that Nyikang finally made peace with the sun. The name Kacedur (victor) shows that the character won his many battles against neighboring countries. Got a mal (the angry one) and Got a lany (the merciful one) indicate the ambivalence of the character who, depending on his mood, can refuse or accept the prayers of his subjects.

Hymn to Nyikang

Mythology

The Shilluk trace their ancestry through a mythic genealogy preserved through oral tradition. Though minor variations occur across regions and even among individual narrators, the essential structure remains stable. These traditions were recorded by D.S. Oyler in Nikawng and the Shilluk migration (1918), and provide insight into Shilluk cosmology and royal origins.

The genealogical sequence begins with a supernatural union and proceeds as follows:

Omaro, the son of a mysterious river cow and Nikia, the sister of the crocodile,
* was the father of ''Kolo'',
* who was the father of Moel,
* who was the father of Okwa,
* who in turn was the father of Nyikang (also spelled Nikawng), the founding hero of the Shilluk people.

Departure from the land of Duwat

Most Shilluk accounts indicate that Nyikang's migration took place in two successive stages: a first departure from the land of Duwat (his original homeland), followed by a second departure from Dimo, where he is said to have resided for a time. Oyler notes that the Shilluk regard this ancestral homeland as a distant, sacred land located “up the Nile,” often referred to as Duwot (or Duwat) or Kero. This mythic place is remembered as the “head of the earth,” a realm without death. Instead, the old and infirm would be left in the cattle yard, where they were trampled until reduced to the size of infants—after which they would begin life anew, perpetuating a cycle of rebirth and immortality.

Nyikang’s departure from this deathless land of Duwot marks the foundational moment in Shilluk history. According to one version of the narrative:

As Nyikang departed, he was joined by a number of loyal followers. Different traditions list his companions variously, but common names include his sons Bur and Shall; his father’s wife Ungwedo; three uncles—Moiny, Nyuado, and Juok; and three devoted servants—Ubogo, Ujul, and Mielo.

A similar but slightly different version is recorded by Diedrich Westermann (1912), who attributes the quarrel not only to a succession dispute but also to a disagreement over cattle. In this telling, Nyikang left with his brother Omgi, his half-brother Ju, and three sisters. As he departed, Duwat threw a digging stick after him—'to dig the gound (or to bury the dead)'. Along the journey, Nyikang gathered followers from various tribes. Eventually, he reached the mouth of the Sobat River, where he founded the Shilluk kingdom.

Departure from the land of Dim

According to the Shilluk traditions recorded by Oyler (1918), the migration into their present homeland was preceded by a dramatic series of events in a foreign land called Tura, ruled by a sorcerer-king named Dim. King Nyikang, a central ancestral figure, had settled in Tura and married Dim’s daughter, who bore him a son named Dok. From a young age, Dok was mischievous and unruly. In one fantastical episode, a caretaker's careless wish for Dok to grow up was instantly fulfilled, causing him to become a giant and even more troublesome.

A tense rivalry soon developed between Dok and his maternal grandfather Dim. This escalated into a magical contest in which Dim withheld fire and rain, to which Dok responded by blinding the people and Dim’s cattle. Though each side eventually relented, the conflict culminated in a plot by Dim to assassinate Dok. Dok narrowly escaped this attempt by substituting himself with a wooden effigy. His sudden reappearance during his own mourning ceremony terrified the people and cemented his reputation as a being of extraordinary power.

Disillusioned by the hostility in Tura, Nyikang and his companion Ubogo resolved to leave. Ubogo argued that the local people were cowardly, and that only Dok and Nyikang were capable of bearing the burdens of conflict. As they set out, the group encountered the sudd—a massive swamp of interlocked grasses. Though they had boats, they were unable to pass through. Ubogo proposed that a human sacrifice would part the waters. When Dok refused to offer one of his servants, Ubogo volunteered himself, declaring he had eaten and that his children were with the group. His death miraculously opened the way through the sudd.

Eventually, the migrants reached a place called Kofal, a broad area along the river. Nyikang, fearing continued strife between the bold and hot-headed Dok and his half-brother Bur, decided to separate them. Bur was sent away with Dok’s mother, provoking Dok to fury. He pursued Bur but was pacified when his mother cradled Bur on her lap, rendering Dok unwilling to strike. Still angered, Dok returned to confront Nyikang. Offered compensation, he refused wives and cattle, instead demanding Nikawng’s daughter as his wife. This unconventional union—between a son and his half-sister—was permitted and produced a child, leading to the enduring Shilluk custom that a newly crowned king may take one of the royal daughters as wife.

Following these events, the group is understood to have entered the lands that would become the heartland of the Shilluk people.

Foundation of the Shilluk

According to Shilluk tradition, Nyikawng eventually arrived in what is now known as Shilluk country. At the time, the land was already inhabited, but Nyikawng was able to drive out the original occupants and claim the territory. However, the land he acquired was vast—too large for the small group that accompanied him from his earlier migrations. To secure and populate this territory, he incorporated new groups.

Some of these were conquered peoples who became subjects and assisted in holding the land, but Nyikawng did not rely solely on captives. According to the narrative, many beings that would not be recognized as people by the ordinary observer were identified by Nyikawng as humans in disguise. His ability to see through their masquerade allowed him to integrate them into his growing society.

Each group that was taken in under these circumstances became the origin of a subtribe within the Shilluk. While each of Nyikawng’s original companions from his homeland is remembered as the founder of a subtribe, these were few compared to the number of subtribes formed through local incorporation. At the time of recording, Shilluk tradition recognizes over seventy subtribes, a few of which are considered representative or typical.

References

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Mythological kings
Kings in Africa